


Drummer Boy

by olgushka



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 18:35:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10418529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olgushka/pseuds/olgushka
Summary: "No one really cares about the drummer. But that's okay."





	

**Author's Note:**

> *has four different unfinished stories but writes another stupid one and posts it*

Tyler was aware of the fact that Josh had a scheduled interview in Los Angeles but never really paid much attention to it. He didn’t even think of watching the interview in the first place until someone tweeted him the link and demanded, all in capital letters: _TYLER PLEASE TALK SOME SENSE INTO YOUR DRUMMER._

Confused, he opens the video and stares at the face of his best friend. There’s nothing unusual about the questions or the answers Josh gives. He’s about to click the red button in the right upper corner of the page but then, the drummer says something that makes Tyler freeze. He’s pretty sure he must have misheard things, so he rewinds the last few seconds of the video and turns the volume up. 

Josh says the same thing again. And again. And again. Josh says the same thing as many times as the singer rewinds and unpauses the video.

Tyler sees red. 

They've been off tour for a week and Josh had to already pull something like _this_. 

He slams the laptop shut, places it on the coffee table with too much force and quickly marches to the bedroom. He pulls out a small suitcase and carelessly throws a few necessary things inside.

Jenna walks in on him while he furiously makes a mess in the drawer looking for his documents. She frowns.

„What are you doing?”

„Going on a mission.” Tyler says. „I need to punch a certain someone in the face. Have you seen my… A-ha! Here it is.” He smiles triumphantly as he grabs his passport. 

He quickly changes into fresh clothes while Jenna still stands in the middle of the room with the same confused expression on her face. He lifts the suitcase, grabs his phone, passport and wallet from the desk and heads to the door. He stops in front of his wife and gives her a chaste kiss on the lips. 

„I love you. See you later, yeah?”

After that, he hurries down the stairs and out of the door, calling a taxi in the meantime. 

Jenna sighs heavily but shrugs and leaves the bedroom. She would lie if she said that she wasn’t used to her husband’s strange behavior. She goes back to the living room and opens the abandoned laptop. The YouTube page with an interview with Josh pops up on the screen. She watches the whole thing from the beginning.

„Well, I'm the drummer.” Josh says eventually. „No one really cares about the drummer. But that's okay...”

„Oh.” She says to herself and looks at the publication date. Eight hours ago. 

She pulls out her phone and types a message. 

_Punch him hard. I'm not even kidding._

The answer is immediate. 

_Will do._

 

Tyler hates Los Angeles. He's been here for half an hour and he's already sweating. When the taxi stops in the familiar neighborhood, he pays the driver and runs to the door. He sneaks inside when one of Josh's neighbors leaves the building and takes the elevator to the fifth floor. 

He knocks furiously on the door. 

He's not really surprised when it's not Josh who opens it.

„Tyler?”

„Hey, Brendon.” Tyler grins. „It’s good to see you. Is Josh home?”

„Yeah, he's-”

„Brendon, who-” Josh's voice echoes through the flat and he walks out of the kitchen a few seconds later. He stops in his tracks. „Tyler? Has something happened?”

„Yes.” Tyler sets his lips into a thin line and glares at Josh. 

He passes his suitcase to Brendon who takes it without a word, and takes a step forward. He moves until he stands right in front of the drummer. Then, he swings his right arm and punches Josh straight in the face. 

„Sweet Jesus!” Brendon yells and slams the door shut with his foot.

Josh is not the only one who moans, bending over in pain, holding his face. Tyler grits his teeth and hisses, shaking and massaging his hand. 

„What is wrong with you?!” Josh shouts, still keeping his hand on his throbbing cheek and looks at Tyler. 

„With me? What is wrong with _me_?! What is wrong with you, Josh! _No one really cares about the drummer_? _Tyler would be perfectly fine without me_? What the hell!?”

„Wait... What?” Brendon asks, setting Tyler's suitcase onto the floor.

Tyler pulls out his phone, breathing heavily. He opens the YouTube app and quickly finds the interview. He passes the phone to Brendon who watches the video for a few moments. When the annoying quote leaves Josh's mouth, Brendon gasps. 

„You little _shit_.” Brendon says with disbelief. He approaches the drummer, grabs him by the hair and leads him to the living room, ignoring Josh's loud cries of protest. „Did you mean that?” Brendon demands.

„I usually don't say things I don't mean.” Josh says, running his fingers through his messy hair.

Brendon smacks him in the head.

„Wrong answer.” 

„Ow! Brendon, what the heck!”

„Listen-”

„No, you listen. Get the heck out of my flat. Both of you.” Josh says, trying to stand up but the firm grip of Brendon's hand on his shoulder pins him down to the couch again.

„Hell no, young man. It's you who will _listen_.” Brendon raises his voice and points his finger at the drummer. 

„Young man? What the-”

„Shut up.” Tyler says, returning from the kitchen and handing Josh a bag of ice wrapped in a cloth. „I don't want to hear a single word from you.” He takes a step back and stands close to Brendon, crossing his arms over his chest.

Josh exhales, clearly annoyed. He presses the cold cloth to his cheek and leans back, crossing his legs. He looks like a teenager who is about to get scolded by his parents for bad grades. 

„You're amazing.” Brendon says and Josh rolls his eyes.

„Oh, for God’s sake...” The drummer growls and tilts his head back, letting it rest against the back of the couch. 

„Incredible.” Tyler adds.

„And so talented.” Brendon continues.

„Extraordinary.”

„Wonderful.”

„Unique.”

„These are all synonyms, you know.” Josh mumbles.

„And your drumming is phenomenal. Dude, I fell in love with drumming because of you!” Brendon says, ignoring Josh’s statement. When Josh doesn’t take his eyes off the ceiling, Brendon sighs and turns to Tyler. „It’s not working. I think it’s time to use some of your magic, Tyler Joseph.”

Tyler nods and moves closer to the couch. He gently separates Josh's legs and kneels on the carpet between them, resting his hands on the drummer's thighs.

„Josh, can you look at me?”

„No.”

„Please?” Tyler asks. „Jishwa? I'm sorry I punched you. But if you don't look at me this instant, I swear to God, I will not hesitate to punch you again.”

And how Josh can say no to that? He sighs and swallows hard but lifts his head up and shifts on the couch until he sits upright. He puts the ice down and Tyler reaches to his face, tilting it sideways by his chin. He strokes Josh's jaw with his thumb. 

„It's not that bad. You will probably have a bruise but I managed to avoid your nose and teeth.”

„Awesome.” Josh hisses sarcastically and slaps Tyler's hand away.

„Behave.” Brendon growls from where he stands on the other side of the room, with his back pressed against the window sill and arms crossed over his chest.

„Who are you, my mother?” The drummer snaps.

„No, but I can call her if you want. I bet she will be thrilled.”

Josh grits his teeth but doesn't say anything more. He looks at Tyler and locks his eyes with him because that's what Tyler tells him to do.

„Alright. Now, why do you think that you don't matter?” The singer asks. 

„Because it's true.”

„I need you to elaborate on this one.”

„Stop playing my therapist.” Josh says defensively.

„Josh.” Brendon warns.

„I don't, okay? I just don't. Drummers don't matter. All I ever do is sit in the back, hitting things. I'm invisible. The only thing I'm good at is backflipping off your stupid piano. That's my role. It's you who's constantly in the spotlight and it's understandable. You're so talented. You're the singer. I- I'm nothing. I'm awkward and anxious, and I really don't understand why you still keep me around.”

As soon as he finishes speaking, he claps his hand over his mouth. He didn't mean to say that last sentence out loud.

Brendon shakes his head and rubs his hands over his face. He opens his mouth but before he can start to speak, Tyler lifts his hand, cutting him off.

„Josh. No offence, okay? But you are a _fucking_ idiot.” Tyler says and Brendon snorts behind his back. „You're an idiot for thinking that you don't matter and you're an idiot for not coming to me when you knew that you've been slipping towards this kind of thoughts again.”

„I'm not having any kind of _thoughts_!” Josh throws his hands in the air.

„Then how do you call this?”

Josh shrugs. Brendon comes closer and sits on the armrest of the couch.

„Look, you're a fan of many bands. And you, yourself, have been a drummer for years. And you seriously still don't notice the importance of a drummer in a band?” Brendon asks. „You're like a fucking anchor, dude. It's you who keeps everything together!”

„Brendon is right.” Tyler says before Josh can protest. „If the drummer is rubbish, the whole band is doomed and you know it. I may screw up a few notes on my ukulele and no one will notice but if you screw up, everyone knows. And somehow you never fail. You know why? Because you're amazing. They may look at me, jumping around the stage like a monkey on a banana overdose but you're _the driver_ , Josh. You lead the songs. You lead the whole band. You lead _me_. Look where we are and how much we achived. How far we've gone. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be where we are now. There wouldn't be Twenty One Pilots without you.”

„But you're-”

„No. Stop right there. We're equals, Josh. None of us is better that the other.” Tyler shakes his head. „You're so important, Jishwa. I wish you could see it. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You're passionate, sincere and so down-to-earth. You may get anxious in social situations but you're the most confident drummer I know. You're aware of your skills, I know you are, and you know that you can do wonders with your set.” He continues. „Please, believe in yourself more. The Clique loves you so much! You're our ray of sunshine and you brighten our days. And the most important thing? You're my best friend. And I'm so, _so_ lucky, because my best friend is not only an excellent drummer but also the best and the nicest person in the whole world. My most prized-possesion.”

„I thought that was Jenna.” Josh wringles his nose.

„Shh. You know she's just a cover up.” The singer smiles.

„Why are you here?” The drummer asks suddenly.

„Because I love you.”

Josh rolls his eyes.

„I'm being serious.”

„Same here. You're my best friend and I love you. And it really pains me when you talk crap about yourself so I had to come over and, you know. Intervene.”

„And you couldn't just call?”

„You can't really punch someone in the face through a phone call, can you?” Tyler laughs. „Come here, you silly person.” He opens his arms and Josh falls into his embrace. They both land on the floor. „You're important, okay? Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I will knock out anyone who tries to make you feel unworthy.”

„Oh yes, Joshler is what I live for.” Brendon grins and snaps a picture. „My favorite ship.”

„I'll start blowing holes in your ship if you don't shut up.” Josh mumbles against the skin of Tyler's neck.

„That made absolutely no sense.” Tyler says.

„I can name more things in this room you can actually _blow_." Brendon shrugs and snaps another picture. „Ah, so cute.”

„ _Brendon!_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is. The only thing I know is that I'm so sleep deprived that it actually physically hurts.


End file.
